내/제

The word ‘내’ means ‘my’ in English, and its honorific expression is ‘제.’

예문(example sentences)

Casual: 이것은 내 책이야. This is my book.

Honorific/polite: 이것은 제 책이에요. / 이것은 제 책입니다. This is my book.

Casual: 내 이름은 동수야. My name is Dongsu.

Honorific/polite: 제 이름은 동수예요. / 제 이름은 동수입니다. My name is Dongsu.

.

Casual: 내 눈은 갈색이야. My eyes are brown.

Honorific/polite: 제 눈은 갈색이에요. / 제 눈은 갈색입니다. My eyes are brown.

The casual version is called ‘반말’ [ban-mal] in Korean, and it is mostly used between friends. You can also use it to people who are younger than you.

However, if you are an adult or young adult, it’s safe to use honorific expressions unless the other person suggests you use 반말.

The honorific version is called ‘존댓말’ [jon-daet-mal] and is used in polite settings. Unless you are talking to a little kid, you should use 존댓말 when you meet a person for the first time or when you talk to someone you are not that close to.